Lyrics Ozzie Waters - OLD MAN ATOM

1950 (Protest Song)

I'm gonna preach you-all a sermon 'bout Old Man Atom, that's me
I don't mean the Adam in the Bible datum.
I don't mean the Adam that Mother Eve elated
I mean that thing that science liberated.
The thing that Einstein says he's scared of,
And when Einstein's scared, brother, you'd better be scared.

If you're scared of the atom here's what’s you gotta do
You gotta gather all the people in the world with you
‘Cause if you don't get together and do it
Well, first thing you know I'm gonna blow this world plum two

Hiroshima, Nagasaki, Alamogordo, Bikini

Now life used to be such a simple joy
My cyclotron was just a super toy
And folks got born, they'd work and marry
And "atom" was a word in the dictionary
And then it happened!
The science boys, from every clime
They all pitched in with overtime
And before they knew it, the thing was done
And they'd hitched up the power of the gol-dern sun
And put a harness on Old Sol
Splittin' atoms, while the diplomats was splittin' hairs

Hiroshima, Nagasaki, Alamogordo, Bikini...

But the atom's here, in spite of hysteria,
Flourishes in Utah, as well as Siberia.
And whether you're a black, white, red or brown,
The question is this, when you boil it down:
To be or not to be! That's the question!

The answer to it all ain't military datum,
Like who gets there firstest with the mostest atoms,"
No, the people of the world must decide their fate,
They gotta get together or disintegrate.
I hold this truth to be self-evident
That all men may be cremated equal!

Hiroshima, Nagasaki, Alamogordo, Bikini...

Yes, it's up to the people, ‘cause the atoms don't care,
You can't fence me in, I'm just like air.
I don't give a hoot about any politics
Or who got what into whichever fix
All I want to do is sit around and have my nucleus bombarded by neutrons.

Now the moral is this, just as plain as day,
That Old Man Atom is here to stay.
I'm gonna stick around, and that's for true
But, ah, my dearly beloved, are you?

So listen, folks, here is my thesis:
"Peace in the world, or the world in pieces!"